Okay folks. I just set up my 'new' sew/craft/kwilt room... and I specifically chose to put my main cutting, sewing and ironing surface in the middle of my room. BUT, I see in so many of the marvelous pics of y'alls sewing rooms... that most times the cutting and sewing surfaces are up against walls.

??? Is this just personal preference? Or are there some excellent reasons for setting up those surfaces against walls? So what am I missing here? Clue me in!

My personal choice.. is ironing near my sewing machine so all I have to do it turn around and shoot it with the iron. In my room the machine is in the middle and the ironing serface is behind me which ends up putting it next to the wall. There is no wrong ot right .. just what ever YOU want and how YOU want it!

I use only one cabinet/surface: the Horn 5580 tall cabinet. I have my sewing machine in it, serger set up to my right on a small elevated table which is against the wall. I have the quilt leaf open and do my main cutting on the end and back side, main ironing too. When I piece, I simply roll one of the carts around to my left, and put the smaller cut mat/iron mat on it. I keep a stool on the other side, and that back surface also works as a craft table, reading table, area to layout fabrics and trims...etc. The whole table is 40" x 60".

My room is not quite big enough to leave in the middle of the room. I keep it against the wall but, when I need to get around it I can pull it away from the wall and get all the way around it. I don't need it all the time so therefore why waste the room to leave it in the center. I only cut from one side and the only time I need to get around it is when I am basting it.

Just re-did my sewing room and my husband modified a base kitchen cabinet from Lowes, put my cutting table top (that was on the rolling table frame that I had gotten at Joann's years ago) on top of the cabinet and installed locking wheels under it... I can move it from against the wall to middle of room when I need space to cut around and when not using whole surface, it is out of the way on the wall and I still have 3 sides to use-I store my traveling machine for classes and embroidery machine in bottom and the two drawers on top have all my cutting tools...
It is the most wonderful table!! Best thing, it looks custom, but at a DIY price!!!! :P

When I decided to move from a small room to the largest one in the house, my cutting area was going to be in the middle and there would be all kinds of room for all of my machines and other goodies. Then along came my Gammill...

I have two 6ft banquet tables that I move around...usually in an L-shape.
One is next to me and one in front of my sewing machine which sits in its
own table.
When I want to baste a quilt I move both table in the middle and push
my sewing machine aside.